The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-28
The Magnificent Sailing Qualities of the
American Yacht Demonstrated to the
Full Satisfaction Of Her Friends.
The Thistle's Officers Think She Was
Handicapped by Excursion Boats,
And that There Is Something Wrong with
Her Bottom-lnteresting Facts About the
Two Vessels, Their Officers and Builders.
pecial to the Indianapolis Journal

and what little wind there was scarcely sufhced
to ripple the waters. Every body predicted that
it would be q Thistle" day, if there should be
any race at all As early as o'clock in the
morning thousands Of people were astir and
ready to seek whatever conveyance was availa-
BILE to the scene of the great contest, and the
excursion steamers filled to their utmost
capacity at a very early hour. When it was
nearly an hour before the starting time the up
per bay a floating The water all
around the flagship Electra was filled
up. and bands played and whistles
blew. For two hours more the great
fleet lay in the bay waiting for wind The
slight breeze had died out, and the chances were
that there would be race. AS noon ap-
preached, however, gentle breeze sprang up.
At 11:45 the Thistle began to stand in toward
Bay Ridge, and the Volunteers sails partly
filed. Shortly after II o'clock the Electra blew
her whistle, and the starting line was cleared.
Before the preparatory starting guns were fired,
the Thistle sailed past the Electra with all sails
set except her balloon jio and spinnaker. The
Volunteer crused about In a small space. and
both yachts created great sensation. The fog
by 1916 had nearly disappeared, and the south
erly breeze grew stronger. The preparatory
starting gun was fired at 1920. At 1924
ond gun was fred by accident, through some
one tampering with the electric firing apparatus.
At This time both yachts were in favorable posi-
tion for starting but. as the Eectras signals
were unchanged, neither crossed the line.
The starting gun was fred at 1870. and both
boats almost Immediately headed for the line.
Both carried mansail, club topsail and three
iibs. The Thistle was slightly in the lead, but
there was not more than two hundred feet be-
tween the boats. The official starting time was:
Thistle, 12:33.06; Volunteer, 5s4. Both
yachts crossed the line the port tack The
moment they were off the great fleet of pleasure
boats started after them, followed later by the
Electra. which overhauled the crowd.
Then happened of the most remarkable
things seen in yacht race in this harbor.
The two yachts went into The Narrows with
the Thistle several hundred feet ahead
of the Volunteer, and came out
with the Volunteer a good half mile
ahead of the Thistle the Volunteer booming
along at great rate of speed, while the Thistle
was standing almost dead still. The
reason OF this was that the Vol
unteer had caught the wind like
feather, and the Thistle had caught none Of it.
little while later the Thistle caught the wind.
and started off at better pace. but at 155, half
an hour after the start, the Volunteer was fully
a mile N the lead. The long lead of the Volun-
teer was ascribed to superior seamanship in
holding on to the first tack toward Staten Island,
AMI catching the breeze off shore. After
while the Thistle got more wind. and decreased
the Volunteers lead, and at 2 o'clock the Scotch
boat was apparently not more than three-quar-
ters of mile behind while at 2:15 not
than half mile separated the two, although the
Thistle was quarter of a mile to the leeward
At 2:30 the Volunteer was only three
eighths of mile ahead. The wind was
increasing. and the Volunteer. st 235, rounded
the point of the Hook, and headed for the light
ship. six minutes ahead of the Thistle. At 240
the Volunteer was on the starboard tack, out
side of the Hook, about mile and a quarter
ahead of the Thistle, the latter then being near
the point of the Hook. The wind was then
blowing nine miles an hour, and the Volunteer
slowly increasing her lead until 345, when she
rounded the lghtship and started homeward
The Thistle rounded the Eghtship at 4:0l.
From this point back to the finishing line the
race was practically walk-over for the Volun-
teer. and as she passed the Hook she was greet
ed with deafening cheers from the crowd
At Buoy 10, the Thistle sixteen minutes
behind the Volunteer, with the wind blowing
ten miles hour.
The Volunteer presented magnificent specta-
Gle as she came booming up the bay with the
triumphal procession of boats behind her, each
flying every shred of bunting that could be had
The Thistle crossed tn g line with all sails set
about twenty minutes behind the victor. the
official finishing time being as follows: Volun-
teer, $3.50; Thistle, 5:44:55.
Your correspondent interviewed Mr.. Bell
and Captain Barr Immediately after the race,
just the Thistle dropped anchor in the harbor
off Tompkinsville. In reply to a query as to
what he thought of the race, Mr.. Bell said: Il
merely think are beaten. might say badly
beaten. / have never in all her races seen the
Thistle sail so badly. Something appeared to
hamper her. as though she had clog on her bot
TOM am satisfied. however. that we could
not have won, even with the Thistle at her best,
were badly handicapped by wind and tide
The Volunteer had wind and tide largely her
favor going down The Narrows, while at times
we were almost becalrned. You may say, how
ever that am satisfied, If the committee are,
and that l will not complain"
"Were you hampered by the excursion boats
Mr.. Bell?"
81 had rather not say. will leave that for
the committee decide"
Just then the chief officer Of the steam yacht
Mohcan, who had been on the Thistls during
the race, said: II should say handi-
capped. AS soon the Volunteer got in front,
the whole fleet started right after her. churning
and tearing up the water until it was as chonpy
as a channel sea. Is this not true, Mr.. Bell3"
Mr. Bell acquiesced. and added: This was
not the worst feature The wind had to come
to through the spaces between the big boats,
and this n ade it so streaky that it was hard TO
tell just where the eye of the wind really was.
We did best under the circumstances. and,
as said before, we won't plain. We intend
to find out tomorrow what was really the mat
ter with the Thistle. The crew have an idea
that something is wrong with her bottom, and.
although do not think will find any clog
there in order to preserve harmony and satisfy
the men, will dock the Thistle tomorrow, and
have her thoroughly overhaued-"
In regard to q short tack made by the Thistle.
Just after the start, and by which she was
thought TO have lost considerably, Mr. Bell said:
This short leg made by Capt Barr. who
was sailing the vessel, for what purpose l can
not say"
Would you have made this tack, Mr.. Bell,
if you had been sailing the boatW
THAT, cannot say. Capt Barr may have
been looking for a better wind swifter ebb
current
Mr. Bell then stepped aboard the cutters gig,
which was to convey him TO the Scotch steam